The top five PCGS-graded coins acquired through auctions through November 2025 sold for a combined $13.56 million, nearly double the auction price of the top five from 2024.
What characteristics do the auction stars of 2025 share in common, other than the fact that all sold for seven figures and all were offered through Heritage Auctions?
Scarcity. The PCGS-graded population for the top-selling auction coins ranged from three to 14. In addition, all of these rare and beautiful coins come with a fascinating history.
The $13.56 million figure easily eclipsed the combined value of the five highest-priced coins auctioned in 2024, $7.62 million. For further context, the combined sales prices for the top five coins in 2023 was $20.4 million, and in 2022 it was $18.78 million.
No recent year comes close to the $51.51 million combined sales prices for the top five coins auctioned in 2021. That year, Sotheby’s sold the 1933 Gem Brilliant Uncirculated Double Eagle (MS65) from the Steve Weitzman Three Treasures Collection for a record $18.87 million.
Let’s take a look at what makes these coins special.
1927-D Saint-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle, PCGS MS65+
This coin is one of seven believed to have survived from the original mintage of 180,000 struck in 1927. It has been part of several notable collections, including that of Dayton dealer James Kelly and well-known collector Dr. Steven Duckor. Most of the originals were melted down in the gold recall of 1933. Graded MS65+, the coin displays full, vibrant luster and minimal imperfections, making it a stunning example of a true gold-era legend. On January 16, this Saint-Gaudens rarity sold at the Florida United Numismatists Show for $3.84 million, which was tied for the 18th-highest auction price ever for a PCGS-graded coin.
1798 $5 Small Eagle, BD-1, PCGS AU55
Only six or seven of this extremely rare series are known to remain in existence, and two of those are part of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. Its lore includes the unconfirmed, yet likely, idea that it was minted in 1797 because a yellow fever epidemic forced the Philadelphia Mint to close, increasing the late-year demand for coinage. The coin’s small eagle design was later replaced with a Heraldic Eagle on the reverse. This coin was purchased as part of a collection by Egypt’s King Farouk in the 1940s and sold by Sotheby’s in 1954 after Farouk’s regime fell. Graded by PCGS, this piece scored an AU55 and sold on January 15 for $3 million.
1907 $10 Rolled Edge Indian Eagle, PCGS PR67
The 1907 Rolled Edge Indian Eagle, designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, represented a pivotal moment in American numismatics. A pet project of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, the Rolled Edge is a variety of an experimental proof pattern that was struck before the design was finalized for circulation. One of three believed to remain in existence and graded PCGS PR67, this example sold for $2.4 million on October 2 at the Great American Coin and Collectibles Show.
1879 $20 Liberty Head Quintuple Stella, PCGS PR64DCAM
The Quintuple Stella is among the most pursued rarities in the world. Its unique gold pattern coin that was originally proposed as a metric-based international trade piece, a 19th century equivalent to today’s Euro. Because the coin was never adopted for general use, these $20 patterns are exceptionally rare. This specific piece, graded PCGS PR64DCAM, showcases an impressive contrast between the frosted devices and mirror-like fields, and it sold for $2.16 million on August 26 at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money through Heritage Auctions.
1894-S Barber Dime, Branch Mint Proof, PCGS PR66
The 1894-S Barber Dime often is grouped with the 1804 dollar and the 1914 Liberty nickel as the “Big Three” of rare and sought-after U.S. coins. Struck at the San Francisco Mint with an original run of just 24 pieces, only eight to 10 examples are known to survive today. The well-preserved 1894-S Barber Dime features reflective surfaces and a uniform, sharp, and detailed prooflike appearance. This piece sold for $2.16 million at the Florida United Numismatists Show on January 15.
